Black Dog is a black matte shade. When you apply it, it’s like you’d apply charcoal.

Urban Decay – The Black Palette: Black Dog

Barracuda is a blackened grey with silver particles.

Urban Decay – The Black Palette: Barracuda

Jet is a red toned purple.

Urban Decay – The Black Palette: Jet

Sabbath is dark blue.

Urban Decay – The Black Palette: Sabbath

Cobra has very dark (maybe black) base and antique-gold shimmer/glitter.

Urban Decay – The Black Palette: Cobra

Libertine is blackened green.

Urban Decay – The Black Palette: Libertine

All shades in the palette are very dark. To me they look even darker on the skin that they are in the palette. I’ve read a lot of reviews and I’ve seen a lot of swatches of the palette. Most people criticise the palette, because the eyeshadows are a bit too dark. Almost black. And if you use them together on the lids, you can’t even differentiate between the colors. They all look almost black. I partially agree with these reviews and critics. I found out that the right choice of eyeshadows base will do the trick and bring out the shimmer. I prepared swatches with three different eyeshadows bases: Rival de Loop, Essence Eye Soufflé in Grand-Plie in Black and Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden (comes with the palette).

Urban Decay – The Black Palette

Have you noticed how dull (and matte) the colors applied over the UDPP base look? Isn’t that just interesting?!? It seems as UDPP “eats” the shimmer or the shimmer doesn’t stick to the UDPP base as good. Whatever it is, the lesson of this post is definitely:

Don’t use UDPP with the eyeshadows from The Black Palette if you’d like to see the shimmer!